This is the first of four meetings between the Sabres and Bruins this season.

Next meeting: Thursday, Oct. 30 in Buffalo

The Sabres are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games vs. the Bruins; 6-3-1 at home.

This is the 274th game all-time between Buffalo and Boston; Buffalo has a 119-114-40 series record.

The Sabres are 73-44-21 at home against the Bruins all-time.

THIS DAY IN SABRES HISTORY

The Sabres are 10-4-3 all-time on October 18.

October 18, 1970: Gerry Meehan scores the first Sabres goal at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium at 5:48 of the second period against Pittsburgh. The Sabres and Penguins combine for 90 penalty minutes in a 1-1 tie, the first in Sabres history. The Sabres would account for 58 minutes, while Reg Fleming alone picked up 39 penalty minutes in the game.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Entering tonight, Buffalo has won two straight home games against Boston for the first time since 2011-12. With a win tonight, the Sabres will have beaten the Bruins in Buffalo three times in a row for the first time since they won four straight from March 30, 2008 to April 11, 2009.

The Bruins and Sabres have had 11 games decided in shootout (Sabres are 5-6), tying for the Sabres’ highest mark against any opponent (Ottawa, 7-4 and New Jersey, 7-4).

Brian Flynn recorded a goal and an assist in each of his last two home games against the Bruins.

Marcus Foligno recorded five points (1+4) in five games against the Bruins last season.

Brian Gionta (13+12 in 46 GP) and Drew Stafford (12+13 in 42 GP) tie to lead the Sabres with 25 career points against the Bruins.

BACK AND FORTH
Neither of these teams has won consecutive games against the other since the 2011-12 season, when Boston won the first and last two matchups, with Buffalo winning games three and four. They have traded wins in the 10 games in the last two seasons. The Sabres will look to continue the pattern with a win tonight.

Season

Date

Home Team

Winner

2012-13

1/31/13

Boston

BUF, 7-4

2012-13

2/10/13

Buffalo

BOS, 3-1

2012-13

2/15/13

Buffalo

BUF, 4-2

2012-13

3/31/13

Buffalo

BOS, 2-0

2012-13

4/17/13

Boston

BUF, 3-2 (SO)

2013-14

10/23/13

Buffalo

BOS, 5-2

2013-14

12/19/13

Buffalo

BUF, 4-2

2013-14

12/21/13

Boston

BOS, 4-1

2013-14

2/26/14

Buffalo

BUF, 5-4 (OT)

2013-14

4/12/14

Boston

BOS, 4-1

EXPANDED ROLE FOR MYERS
Tyler Myers has led all Sabres skaters in ice time in each of the team’s five games and ranks 10th in the league with an average of 26:28 per game. His 29:25 last Tuesday at CAR was his highest total since his career-high 31:05 on Jan. 14, 2012 at NYI. Myers last led the Sabres in ice time in a season in his rookie season of 2009-10, when he averaged 23:44 per game.

BACK-TO-BACK
Tonight’s game wraps up Buffalo’s second of 18 sets of back-to-back games this season, which began with a 1-0 loss vs. FLA last night. The Sabres are 0-2-0 in the first game of back-to-back sets and 1-0-0 in the second game. Buffalo’s point breakdown in previous back-to- back sets is: four points (0), three points (0), two points (1), one point (0) and zero points (0).

A NEW LOOK
Only 10 of the 20 Sabres players who dressed for the first game of the 2013-14 season appeared on the team’s 2014-15 opening day roster. Only six players on this year’s opening day roster suited up for the team in the season-opener two years ago: TylerEnnis, JhonasEnroth, MarcusFoligno, CodyHodgson, TylerMyers and DrewStafford

A FRESH FACE
With his debut on Thursday vs. CBJ, Sam Reinhart became the seventh 18-year-old ever to dress for the Sabres and the fourth to do so on opening day. The Sabres have now had an 18-year-old in the opening day lineup each of the last three years (2013-14: Rasmus Ristolainen; 2012-13: Mikhail Grigorenko).

YOUNGEST SABRES DEBUTS

Player

Season

Age

First Game

Pierre Turgeon

1987-88

18 years, 41 days

10/8/87 vs. Minnesota

Nikita Zadorov

2013-14

18 years, 187 days

10/19/13 vs. Colorado

Jay McKee

1995-96

18 years, 215 days

4/10/96 vs. Ottawa

Mikhail Grigorenko

2012-13

18 years, 249 days

1/20/13 vs. Philadelphia

Wayne Primeau

1994-95

18 years, 333 days

5/3/95 vs. New Jersey

Sam Reinhart

2014-15

18 years, 338 days

10/9/14 vs. Columbus

Rasmus Ristolainen

2013-14

18 years, 340 days

10/2/13 at Detroit

FEARLESS LEADERS

Brian Gionta has been selected to wear the captain’s “C” for the Sabres in 2014-15, becoming the 19th full-season captain in franchise history (excludes rotating captaincies in 2003-04 and 2007-08).

Gionta, who spent the last four seasons as captain of the Montreal Canadiens, will be the 27th player to wear the captain’s “C” for at least a one-month period.

Josh Gorges and Matt Moulson were named the team’s alternate captains.

10 were originally drafted by the Sabres — seven were first-round Buffalo selections (Stafford, 2004; Myers and Ennis, 2008; Girgensons, 2012; Ristolainen and Zadorov, 2013; Reinhart, 2014), two were second-round picks (Enroth and Weber, 2006) and one was a fourth-round pick (Foligno, 2009)

Six are new to the Sabres this season: Benoit, Gionta, Gorges, Meszaros, Reinhart, Strachan

Three are opening the season on an NHL roster for the first time in their careers: Deslauriers, Reinhart, Zadorov

BUF-BOS CONNECTIONS
Former Sabres:

Daniel Paille was a part of the Sabres’ organization from 2002-2009. He was selected in the first round (20th overall) by the Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He played 195 games for the Sabres, recording 77 points (35+42). He played 153 games for the Rochester Americans, where he also recorded 77 points (35+42).

Joe Sacco served as an assistant coach for the Sabres during the 2013-14 season.

Ted Nolan:

Coached Brad Marchand for the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) during the 2005-06 season.

Andre Benoit:

Played with Chris Kelly for the Ottawa Senators during the 2010-11 season.

He and Gregory Campbell were teammates for the Kitchener Rangers during the 2002-03 season.

Jhonas Enroth:

Played with LouiEriksson for Team Sweden at the 2014 Olympics as well as the 2011 and 2012 World Hockey Championships.

Marcus Foligno:

Played with Dougie Hamilton for Team Canada at the 2011 World Junior Championship held in Buffalo.

Josh Gorges:

Played with Patrice Bergeron for Team Canada at the 2004 World Junior Championship.

Andrej Meszaros:

Played for the Bruins during the 2013-14 season, recording five points (2+3) over 14 games before adding a pair of assists in four playoff appearances.

Played alongside Zdeno Chara for the Ottawa Senators during the 2005-06 season.

Played with Chris Kelly for the Ottawa Senators from 2005-2008. The two, along with Zdeno Chara, were also reunited with the Bruins during the 2013-14 season.

Played with Simon Gagne during the 2012-13 season.

Nikita Zadorov:

Played with Seth Griffith for the London Knights during the 2012-13 season.